Naruto: Storm on the Horizon
by Jarl of the North
Summary: When Naruto turned eight, two very strange kids came to the village. Ever since they came, a lot has changed, and the trio have become closer than brothers, each with a secret that they only trust each other with, secrets that have been kept from them for a long time. But if one thing hasn't changed, it's Naruto's dream of becoming Hokage! FemKyuu, good! Sasuke, no yaoi.
1. Prologue Part I: The Newcomers

I do not own Naruto. The only character I own is Yami. At least, for now.

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NARUTO

I bolted through the streets of Konohagakure, never stopping for breath, no matter how much my body ached. Sweat dripped from my brow and blond hair into my eyes, making them sting in a mixture of sweat, blood and tears, the former and latter the result of exertion... and fear.

I could hear them. Even now, I could hear the enraged crowd, the one chasing after me with every intent of cutting my throat after beating me half to death beforehand. This happened every single year, always on my birthday after I was kicked out of the orphanage when I was four; on the tenth of October, the villagers would gather into mobs and start their search for me on their sick little "festival" which involved killing demons. While normally, I would have no problem with this, they seemed to think that I was a demon. 'Demon brat,' 'Kyuubi,' 'scum...' every insult towards me that they could think of became synonymous with my name to them. None of them knew what my real name even was. But they couldn't honestly care less.

I hated it. I hated them.

They hated me. So they'd hurt me.

That made me hate them more.

The worst part?

I didn't understand why they hated me.

Fatigue began to take me over, slowing my pace ever so slightly. The roars of the mob increased in volume as they began to gain on me, closer with every passing instant.

_Log damn it!_ the though shot through my mind, and I grated my teeth, _just a little longer... then they'll help me. They always have. Just hold out just a little longer, body. _

I was trying to console myself as I rounded the corner, only to trip over a rock and fall hard on my chest. The rocks scattered across the dirt bit into my skin, and as I struggled to get to my feet, the crowd closed in on me. I shut my eyes as a burly hand reached out to grab my head... but nothing happened.

"Hey, you think that's enough?"

My eyes shot open at the voice, and saw two people standing before me, acting as a barrier between me and the crowd. For an instant, I thought that the first was a member of the Uchiha - he had their black hair, their coal-like eyes. But then I realized that his hair and eyes were far darker than that of any Uchiha, and his skin was as pale as a full moon on a cloudless night. His black t-shirt was in tatters, especially the back - though I could see the edges of what may have once been a clan symbol, the entire back had been ripped to shreds with a knife, and judging from the lack of scars on the kid's back, I could tell it was intentional, a sign that he'd cast them aside. His black hair was severely spiked, similar in style to that of Goku when he went Super Saiyan, with a bunch of hair covering his forehead and going down over the sides of his head and the back of his neck in smaller, less severe spikes. A long black kunai pouch adorned his arm, with a small white flame-like pattern coming from the bottom. His ragged, stained white shorts had black flame patterns arching up from the bottoms. His ankles were wrapped white strips of cloth, and, oddly enough, he lacked shoes, the bottoms of his feet black and looking about as hard as leather. His face was smooth but sharp, with a narrow chin and nose, his coal-coloured eyes sharp with a mischievous glint to them, a fun-loving smirk plastered on his face as he crossed his arms. The other was someone I didn't even recognize was even remotely from the village - his blood-crimson hair was short, parted on the left side of his face to reveal the crimson kanji for love on his forehead. So far as I could tell, he had no eyebrows, and had what looked like a mixture of black paint outlining his eyes combined with the effects of insomnia, reminding me somewhat of a tanuki, but in spite of this he still carried a smile on his lips, no matter how tired it seemed. His eyes had no discernible pupil, just a pure turquoise eyes that reminded me of the ocean (pictures of it, anyways), and his features were totally smooth, no sharpness or ruggedness to them at all. He wore what looked like a small cloak around his shoulders that went down slightly past his chest, wrapping up around his neck slightly like a turtleneck shirt, but giving him room to breathe. Underneath that was another loose shirt that was cut off by a white strip of cloth around his waist, and brown pants that were cut off by the same wrappings that wrapped around the other kid's ankles, except that he wore sandals that most ninja wore, and a heavy sandstone gourd was slung across his back, kept in place by a piece of white cloth wrapped from under one arm and across his shoulder.

For an instant, no one spoke, the crowd having fallen silent from having been caught off-guard. Then someone in the mob spoke up "what are you two brats doing? Move aside!"

"Why should we?" the dark-haired one spoke up, obviously the one who'd spoken earlier, his voice loud, clear, like cracking ice, "so you can hurt a kid?"

I blinked. I'd seen weird, twisted, borderline absolutely demented in the past, but this definitely took the cake for the strangest thing I'd ever seen. People who were actually standing up for me?

"A kid?" someone else shouted, "a kid! Do you have any idea what that _thing _is? That is _not_ a kid of any sort! If you knew what that thing was, you'd be on our side!"

"Really?" as the red haired kid spoke, the smiles slipped from both their faces, his voice monotone, but holding a hint of extreme, if still dormant, anger, "I wouldn't be so sure."

On the last word, something flew from the redhead, and struck one of the members of the mob, effectively knocking them unconscious. Picking it up off the ground, it looked like the cracked cork from his gourd, and the tension in the air was so thick that moving would send ripples through it like a stick through molten lead.

The black haired boy flicked his wrist slightly, and the kunai pouch on his arm opened, a kunai flying into his hand. But it wasn't like any kunai I'd ever seen; though the hilt was that of any typical kunai, the blade was what got my attention. It was longer than most kunai at a length of ten inches, one sided, and curved like a sword rather than the straight and double-edged style of a kunai. At the base of the blade was a symbol like a trio of tomoe, black against the rest of the cold steel that made up the knife. He crouched down into a fighting stance I wasn't familiar with, like a mixture of the Uchiha's intercepting fist and the Inuzuka's beast-man fighting styles, "tell you what. You walk away _right now,_ and no one gets their asses kicked. If not? Then this fight is going to hurt you_ a lot_ more than it's going to hurt us."

"You'd stand with the demon brat?" at these words, the kids' eyes widened, rage burning inside of them as the words were spoken, "we'll finish what the Fourth started eight years ago! We'll kill you along with him if we have to-"

The one who'd spoken was cut off with a sudden fist to the face from the black-haired kid, and a sudden eruption of sand from under the crowd, blasting him upwards. I felt my eyes widened as the guy screamed, the sand wrapping around him like some kind of earthy blanket, the redhead reaching up towards him, his hand open.

"We don't take very kindly to that phrase," the red-head spat.

"We're going to give you five seconds to apoligize for that," the black haired kid pointed up at the struggling man above, the rest of the mob gaping upwards from their position on the ground, the sand having knocked them all on their asses, "if you don't, you can kiss your days of moving around on your own goodbye."

"What? Why the hell should I apoligize to that demon-"

"Crushing your limbs in five," the redhead's hand contracted slightly, and the man screamed. I watched in sick awe as the man continued to scream, the red-head's teeth bared slightly, grit in concentration; I could tell it was taking everything he had to pace himself, to not simply crush him like a bug.

"Do your worst!" the man shouted, spitting to the earth below.

"Four," the redhead's hand contracted again, and the screams of pain became shrieks of agony. Though he didn't say anything, the defiant hate in his eyes never disappeared. By now the rest of the mob was shouting upwards in outrage, the only thing keeping them from attacking the redhead and me at the same time being the black-haired kid, who'd started a free-for-all among them in an attempt to draw their attention from me. The redhead's hand continued to contract, "three."

By now the man had stopped screaming, no longer able to make any sound from the pain. But still, he seemed to defy the apology "request." Blood shot from his mouth as the redhead continued the countdown "two."

Right as the redhead opened his mouth to say the last number, several anbu shunshined into the plaza, restricting the brawling mob. The red-head's hand released in his shock at the sudden appearance of the ninja, and the man fell to earth on his face. Though I couldn't see their faces, I could tell that they were the ninja who protect me normally.

"So, you tried to attack Naruto again, did you?" one of them spoke, "take the one villager to the hospital. The rest go to Ibiki."

"Weasel, don't you think that's a bit harsh? I mean, house arrest and fines are one thing, but handing them over to Ibiki-"

"They've been given more than enough warnings, Dog," the one named Weasel turned to the dog-masked anbu, his long black hair tied back and his mask like that of a weasel, "I don't think that they'll listen unless someone forces them to acknowledge the punishment of attempted murder upon anyone in the village. Now do as I said, and take them to Ibiki."

"Hai."

With that, about half of the ninja shunshined away, taking the majority of the mob with them. Turning to the two kids who'd decided to step in, who were also currently being restrained by a ninja with a hawk mask, Weasel asked "newcomers, eh? So what are we going to do with you? Did you attack Naruto as well?"

I spoke as soon as the black-haired kid opened his mouth to retort, "they didn't attack me! They tried to help me just now!"

The anbu turned to face me, "what?"

I swallowed as I felt the intense stares of the kids turn on me, their questioning eyes boring into me as I swallowed, and said "they tried to help me. They tried to save me from the mob just now."

Weasel turned back to face the kids again, "who are you? And if what Naruto is saying is true, why did you try to help him?"

The black-haired kid turned his head sharply to the side, "we helped because we don't like seeing people getting picked on. Who we are is none of your business."

There was a short silence, as no one had any way to respond to that. Then Weasel cleared his throat, "then you may as well get comfortable; you aren't leaving until we get some answers, and Lord Hokage has given orders that any newcomers to the village are to be brought straight to him. Now, if you'd come with us."

It wasn't a question, as I realized when one of the anbu picked me up around the waist and began walking towards the Hokage building, the two new kids in tow. Turning as far as I could to face them, I spoke again, "uh... thanks."

"For what?" the black-haired kid perked up, his face one of confusion mixed with pleasant surprise.

"For helping me out back there. I'm not sure if I'd be here right now if you didn't."

"No problem," the redhead spoke up, "besides, we couldn't just sit there. They looked like they wanted to kill you."

I smiled slightly, "if it isn't too much trouble, can I at least ask your names?"

The kids looked at each other, questioning looks on their faces. Finally, the redhead spoke again "my name... my name is Gaara."

The black haired kid looked away, as if ashamed of something, "I'm Yami. Don't ask about our clan names. We don't have them anymore."

I blinked, then felt my grin widen slightly, "I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and if you two don't mind, would you like to be friends?"

It was their turn to blink, taken aback by my offer. Then Gaara smiled, and Yami gave a wide grin, "yeah. Of course we'll be friends."

"Great!" I felt my grin widen again, "advice for the old man? Jiji's a nice guy. Just tell him what happened and you'll probably get off free. If he doubts you, just tell him I'll stand by what you say. He can bring me in, and everything'll work out."

"Okay. Thanks," Yami gave a small salute as the anbu stopped, and I was set down on the ground outside my ragged apartment. I gave a wave as the anbu led Yami and Gaara to the Hokage building, and I clambered up the stairs. When I reached the door, I flung it open, slammed it behind me, locked it tight, and stumbled to my bed, suddenly exhausted beyond belief. I began seeing double as I fell onto my bed, my eyelids heavy, and for the first time in a while, legitimately happy that I'd met people who treated me like an equal besides the old man.

* * *

Sorry if this seems kind of shaky; I didn't plan the last bit of this out too well, but I promise it will get better from here on in. Just hang tight, and I'll be right with you with the next chapter. 'Till next time!

Jarl of the North


	2. Prologue Part II: A Fox and Roommates

I do not own Naruto. The only character I own is Yami. At least, for now.

* * *

NARUTO

The first thing I heard was the single light drip of water, echoing for seemingly miles as it collided with the larger body beneath the slow drip. The second was the sheer lack of sound that followed. It was the latter that made me bolt upright from my spot on the damp concrete floor, coated in sweat and shivering from the cold breeze, blinded by the darkness that surrounded me. Another dripping echo made me scramtle to my feet, unable to discern anything from the darkness around me. I gave a harsh swallow, and, not particularly wanting to stay where I was, began to stumble forwards like a blind drunk, a thousand thoughts and questions cascading through my mind like a torrential downpour. Did the villagers dump me here? It would make sense. They did want me dead. But if they did, why? Wouldn't it have been easier to just kill me?

The last thought made me stiffen in fear. Was I dead? Was this the underworld? If I was dead, then where was I? Then again, I wasn't injured in any way, and so far as I knew, the dead don't feel cold, let alone pain. So that meant I was still alive. At least, so I thought. But then...

_Ah, to hell with it, _I made up my mind, _I'm just going to get the hell out of here and hope that the Log almighty damns whoever dumped me here._

I continued to stumble about until finally, my eyes caught sight of some kind of light. Hanging over what looked like a still river of water that reached end to end in the hallway before me, a flickering flourescent light sparked slightly, growing dim for an instant before returning to its normal state. The walls and cieling were made of pure concrete, with pipes of all types running along their lengths, some broken, revealing their contents such as wires or steam, others empty.

Yep. Definitely some kind of sewer, even if it lacked the stench that normally accompanied them.

Shuddering as the cold water lapped at my ankles, I began wandering through what became a maze of soaking halls, the dim light giving off a dark, ominous feeling like I was being followed. The interwoven halls seemed to wrap around one another like some kind of incredibly intricate web, like an increasingly frustrating riddle that seemed like it should have an answer of some kind, but in reality, had none to begin with. Just when I was about to slump down to rest, a larger light appeared at the end of the hallway. I blinked, and moved towards it, suddenly wishing for a kunai knife. When I finally walked through it, the size of the room I finally arrived at startled me. It was at least seventy feet in height, and another hundred feet wide, rushing forwards pas the light into the darkness, making it impossible for me to tell its length. What was wierd though, was that I could swear that I heard somthing _ breathing _somewhere in the dark.

I don't even know why I did it, but I suddenly found myself walking slowly forwards, fear shooting through me as I continued towards the breathing. Soon, what looked like the bars of some kind of cage stood before me, split into two sections like a giant pair of doors kept in place by a giant piece of paper. A sealing tag, from the look of it. But it was what was behind the bars that made me draw a sudden breath, then clamp my hands over my mouth to keep myself from making any more noise. Coated from its snout to the end of the lazily lashing nine tails that trailed behind it in orangeish-red fur, the form of a gigantic fox loomed over me, its head resting in what looked to be vaguely humanoid arms, its eyes shut, its ear twitching every so often, taking a huge breath every few seconds.

I gave a light swallow of relief as I finally realized that it was sleeping. I began to slowly back away, only to slip and fall hard on my ass, the water not at all acting as a cushion. Fear shot through me as the fox shifted slightly, opening one huge eye about halfway, its mouth curled slightly downwards in annoyance. A blood red iris accompanied by a black slit pupil stared at me, and I felt the blood drain from my face as I froze, totally paralyzed by fear.

**"Well now, what do we have here?" **the fox wondered aloud in a decidedly female voice, holding slight amusement as the fox began drumming her claws against the concrete floor, sending small waves throughout the room and utterly soaking me as a result. The fox gave a chuckle as I sputtered, shaking my head and spraying water from my mouth only to be hit in the face by another wave, **"let's see here... blue eyes, messy blond hair, whisker-like markings... I remember those all too well. My jailer, I presume?"**

The waves slowly ceased as she finally stopped striking the water. I stared at her in confusion as she gave a light laugh, **"not only are you just a child, but it looks like they never told you, either. Shame, too... you'd think that your village leader, your _Hokage _would at least have the decency to tell you why everyone wants you dead," **she spat the name out with considerable disdain and anger.

I blinked hard, trying to force the excess water out of my eyes, "what the hell do you mean, your jailer? I've never imprisoned anyone, I couldn't if I tried."

**"I'd tell you,"** she took a sudden, casual interest in her claws, looking them over as she gave a yawn, as if she were bored, **"but I don't particularly feel in the mood right now. I'm tired, and you interrupted my nap. I don't really care if it was accidental or not. Some people are considerate of others. Until you get some manners, you aren't getting anything out of me."**

I felt my eyes narrow as she finished speaking, "you aren't really one to talk, lady... at least I think you're a lady. Sorry if I'm wrong on that account. But I don't really consider creating waves over and over to make sure the other person is soaking wet 'considerate of others.'"

Her eyes widened for an instant, **"oh, so the brat knows how to stand up for himself, does he?" **her eyes danced at having a new source of entertainment, **"so, as much as I wanted to help you get out of those beatings over the years, they somehow taught you a thing or two, did they? Never thought I'd see the day, not the way you always cried..." **she trailed off and looked away, a note of sadness in her voice on the last comment. Then she brightened slightly, turning her gaze back to me, **"off topic, you are correct that I'm a girl. Most assume I'm male. Damn stereotypes never cease to get on my nerves. And seeing as I'm the reason you've suffered for so long, I suppose it's only fair that I tell you the truth. Come between the bars of the cage, and I'll show you what I remember, how everything took place from the beginning. What you are ready to know, anyways."**

"The truth about what?" I asked, "and how do I know I can trust you?"

**"A good question,"** yet another chuckle escaped her mouth, **"but I have no way to prove that you can trust me. You're just going to put yourself in my hands, now aren't you, Fishcake?"**

I felt my eye twitch, and a vien began to throb on my forehead, "it isn't Fishcake, you crazy fox! It's Malestrom, for Log's sake!"

Her smirk widened slightly, **"whatever you say, Fishcake."**

I grumbled as I approached, slowly, ready to bolt should the fox make a move to kill me. But she merely watched my cautious approach with interest, her tails having gone still. She gave a low sigh, **"perhaps this," **she began, **"will make me seem less dangerous?"**

I stopped, simply staring as the fox gave off a light, translucent glow, and then the light began to shrink, furhter and further until it reached about the size of a human. When the light disippated, what remained was a girl in her late teens, her flaming red hair pulled back by a string and going tinto several severe spikes behind her head like tongues of fire, some of the hair framing the sides of her face and covering her left eye. A formfitting black t-shirt, complete with the blazing red kanji for the number nine on the front adorned her torso, accompanied by faded, worn out pants that stopped torn about halfway down her calves, and equally worn black sandals, her outfit seeming to somehow emphasize her curvacious figure without flaunting it. She gave a somewhat crooked, yet somehow kind smile as she blew the hair out of her face. Then the smile faded to a look of annoyance as she proceeded to try and brush it away from her eye, then one of exasperation a few minutes later as she threw her hands up in the air, giving up on making the hair stay out of her face. Catching my shocked, gaping gaze, she sighed, her voice the same but no longer huge and echoing, "yes, I have a human form. Is that such a big deal?"

"N-No..." I trailed off as I stepped between the bars. Only when I made it all the way through did I realize how tall the fox-lady really was; nearly six feet in height, she would tower over nearly everyone I knew in Konoha, including the old man.

A smirk crossed her face as she caught my look of suprise, "well?" she grabbed onto the sides of my head gently, but firmly, "shall we begin?"

Not even waiting for an answer, she leaned down and pressed her forehead to mine, and I was assaulted by a barrage of images, visions and emotions. A giant fox with nine tails battling against the rapidly growing forest that tried to bind it; the same fox as it struggled against the chains around its body, snarling angrily at the redheaded girl below, who merely scoffed at the fox before disappearing; and the fox again as it stared down at the man clad in the Hokage jacket, holding a child as some kind of spirit stood behind him, clad in white robes with white hair. Though it took me a few seconds, I finally realized that this lady _was _that very same fox. Fear, anger, hatred, and a hundred other emotions washed over me along with the images, and it suddenly all made sense.

"Y-You... you're... you're the..."

I swallowed as she straightened, releasing my head giving me an expectant look, "well? Aren't you going to put the pieces together?"

"YOU'RE THE KYUUBI!" I shrieked, backing away several steps, suddenly fearful for my life.

She merely brought her hands up and gave a series of long, slow claps, "you finally figured it all out. Somebody give the kid a prize."

I continued to back away, "b-but what are you doing here? And why? I thought that the Fourth killed the Kyuubi! And what the hell is this place?"

She gaped at me, and then brought her hand to her forehead with a sigh of exasperation, "just how dense are you?" she gave a growl of frustration as she sat cross-legged in midair, rubbing hard at her forehead and supported by the sudden appearance of the nine tails that grew from the base of her spine, "I can tell, this is going to take some work. First off, the Fourth didn't kill me. Or, more accurately, _couldn't_ kill me. So instead, he sealed me away, inside of a newborn boy. In other words, you."

She pointed at me, her expression one of serious business, "and before you even ask," she raised her hand as I opened my mouth, cutting me off, "the reason I'm here is because we're inside of your mind. This is, if you will, your 'mindscape.' I'll explain that a little later. That wierd mark that appears on your stomach whenever you use your chakra is the seal that keeps me in here. If I were you, I wouldn't screw around with that. It's too high-quality for someone like you to be messing with, plus, you'd only piss off the Shinigami, which is _never_ a good idea."

The tails that weren't supporting her began to wave through the air, almost hypnotic as she continued, "as for why I attacked the village," her glare cut me off again, "I don't even remember most of the attack. Under normal circumstances, I don't think I'd have cared less about your little village. Someone else got control of me that night, someone I remember all too well. Besides that, all I remember is breaking free of my previous seal and that little bitch of a jinchuriki - someone who has a 'chakra beast' sealed inside of them - then suddenly I'm looking at the Shinigami, the Fourth Hokage, his wife, and you, and then the next thing I know, I'm stuck in a cage. Again."

She rolled her shoulders slightly as she finally stopped for breath, and I simply stared, completely confused by what I was hearing. She continued her rant, "even now, I can't seem to catch a break. At first, I hated being stuck inside of you, and that made me hate you. Just a little kid, and I really did hate you with every fiber in my body, enough to make me want to kill you. But seeing what those villagers did to you... that made me want to destroy the village again, this time around for real. I don't even know why I cared, but seeing you get hurt made my hate for you fade."

She got back to her feet again, her visible eye filled with sorrow, "you were hurt because of something that wasn't even your fault. Because I was sealed in your gut," she kneeled, and poked my stomach lightly, running her hand through my hair, "there's nothing I can do about that except say that I'm sorry, kid. I wish I could do more. I really do."

I looked away slightly, "how do I know that this is all true?" I managed through my clenched teeth.

"What you saw were my memories and emotions. There is no genjutsu or brainwashing technique that can alter someone's existing memories that currently exists. At least, none to my knowledge."

I wracked my memory (which, admittedly, wasn't that great when it came to classes), looking through all the genjutsu knowledge I had. From what I knew, she was right; there was no jutsu to create false memories with. And even if there was, what use would someone like her have for it? I doubted that she even knew any jutsu to begin with.

"Well... maybe there's _one _way I could help you."

My gaze shot back up to Kyuubi. She tilted her head slightly, "yeah... I could help you, if you'd be willing to let me."

"How could _you_ of all people help me?" I asked, suddenly suspicious.

She gave a small smile, "seeing as I'm sealed inside of you, I can lend you my chakra. I'll explain how to use it later, _if_ you let me lend it to you."

I felt my mind go blank as she spoke. She'd lend me her chakra? Now curious, I continued to question, "okay... what's the catch?"

She stared at me blankly, then put her hand to her forehead again, "damn, you're paranoid. Guess that's to be expected, given what you've been through," she sighed, "no catch. I'll also give you whatever advice you need, and we'll be able to talk at any time. I'll see the world through your eyes, just as I always have, and give you warnings if you're about to run into trouble."

I gave a slow nod, considering everything she'd promised. I honestly had no idea what I was getting into here. But if she really meant it...

"Deal," I nodded, "just one last question. Do you have a name other than Kyuubi?"

At this, she merely gave another one of her crooked, yet kind smiles, "Kirin."

"Kirin," upon hearing her name, I finally smiled, "that's a nice name. You probably know this already, Kirin-oneechan, but I'm Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki!"

Her smile widened, and she stretched her arms upwards, "oneechan, huh?" I blushed, not realizing what I'd said until it was too late to stuff the word back down my throat. Kirin's smile remained the same as she kneeled down to my eye-level, "in which case, you'd better get used to me, Naruto-ototokun, because having me as family won't be easy."

I merely smiled again, and suddenly my face felt odd for an instant. It vanished as quickly as it came, only to come back again and again with increasing speed until it became relentless.

"Are you okay, Naruto?" Kirin's voice broke into my thoughts.

"It's like someone is poking me in the face at insane speed!" I shouted, "agh! Make it stop!"

Kirin merely stood, suddenly serious, "looks like we've got company. Time to wake up, Naruto."

Before I could say anything else, everything turned black.

* * *

I woke up to stare into two black pits above me separated by albino-white skin. He pulled back as I shot upright, jumping off my bed and rolling across the floor.

"You're finally awake. Great!" he gave a two-fingered salute, and everything shot into focus.

"Y-Yami?" I asked, bewildered.

"Not just him."

I turned to see Gaara leaning against the wall, eating out of one of my instant-ramen cups. He shrugged, "this instant-ramen stuff is okay, but nothing like the real deal."

"Can't say I agree," Yami grumbled as he got up to his full height. While we were all about the same height, Yami's hair made him seem taller than the both of us by a good six inches, "I don't like ramen very much," I gaped as he continued speaking, "I mean, I'll eat it, but I say barbecue is the best food around."

"YOU LIKE BARBECUE MORE THAN RAMEN!" I shrieked, "BLASPHEMY! RAMEN IS THE FOOD OF THE LOG HIMSELF!"

"Speak for yourself," Yami gave a grin, obviously enjoying my rage, "I say barbecue is the best. I also say that all is fair in barbecue and war."

"Either way," Gaara cut us off before we could continue our arguement, "the Hokage says we'll be living with you from now on, seeing as we're the ones who helped you. Don't worry about beds; Yami bought himself a hammock that he nailed to the posts by the window, and the Hokage sent to make your bed a bunkbed to take up less space."

I glanced up, and saw that he was right; a new bed had been placed above my own, giving me enough room to move around while not making whoever was on top bash their heads on the roof whenever they sat up. Getting out from under my own covers, I saw Yami's white hammock by the window complete with a modest blue quilt and pillow. Gaara's bunk was pretty much the same, but with all white sheets.

"One question," Yami began, "do you know how to find the ninja academy?"

"Yeah? Why?" I went to the kitchen to grab some ramen as the partial albino followed me.

"The old man decided to put us in the academy with you. Makes it easier that we know some stuff already, but for all it's worth, we still don't know our way around this jungle of a village," he sat down on the counter as I put the ramen in the microwave, "you think you could help us out?"

"No problem," I smirked, taking the ramen out and closing the microwave. But I froze, and gave a long, slow blink when I saw the time on the microwave. Eight fifty-five. Class starts at nine. Today's the first day of the year. Which meant...

"HOLY MOTHER OF LOG!" I shouted, dropping the ramen (which unfortuneately ultimately landed in the trash), "WE'RE LATE! COME ON, GUYS! LET'S NOT BE LATE FOR OUR FIRST DAY!"

Even as we rushed to get out the door, I heard Kirin chuckle in the back of my mind, _looks like things are about to get as hectic as they will be interesting._

_Shut up,_ was my only response as I locked the door behind me, and we began our dash for the academy.


	3. Prologue Part III: Sparring Matches

I do not own Naruto. The only character I own is Yami. At least, for now.

* * *

NARUTO

"Finally," I wheezed, drawing a harsh breath. I was used to running fast for long periods of time, but all the way to the ninja academy in five minutes with no food in my stomach was pushing it, "made it!"

"Just in time, too, Naruto," I glanced up to see one of the few people who actually gave me some respect in the village; my teacher, Iruka-sensei, had tanned skin, brown eyes and hair, and had a long, horizontal scar across his nose. He wore the usual Konoha shinobi outfit, flak jacket, gloves and all, and the look on his face was one of mild disappointment, "what were you doing? It isn't like you to show up literally at the last second, even if you are the one who shows up last."

I jerked a thumb at Yami and Gaara, the latter of whom was leaning against the wall, panting like a black panther on a hot day and absolutely coated in sweat, his gourd slammed on the ground. There was no question as to why he was like that, "these guys moved into my apartment. It's been a bit of a hectic morning."

Iruka-sensei glanced at my friends, "I'm guessing they're the new students the Hokage told me about?"

"Correctamundo," Yami gave a thumbs up, and Gaara gave a nod.

My sensei nodded, "alright. Let's get inside."

We walked in through the halls to our classroom, Yami looking absolutely ecstatic about the idea (maybe just because he was looking for a fight), and Gaara looking less than excited, almost worried. When we finally walked in, the first words we heard was "Naruto! You're late again, baka!"

I didn't bother looking up to see who it was; I'd heard it all before. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw Yami's eyes narrow, his brow furrowing and his grin slipping slightly from his face, but still remaining there, suddenly dripping with a threatening, sinister miasma that I could only sense for an instant before his face reset to its cheerful state. Gaara on the other hand suddenly removed his mask of worry in exchange for one of minor annoyance.

I walked up the steps to where I normally sat, with two empty desks to my right (Sakura hadn't shown up yet), and the top of the class, Sasuke Uchiha, on my left, the trademark pale skin and dark somewhat spiked hair and eyes of the Uchiha prominent features on him, wearing a black shirt not unlike Yami's with the Uchiha clan symbol etched onto the back. While I didn't know him that well, his older brother had given me a few pointers so I didn't miss every shot with a shuriken.

"Class, today we have two new students joining us today," Iruka-sensei turned to my new friends, "would you two mind introducing yourselves?"

"I'm Yami. All you need to know about me is that I hate bullies and cheese, and can out-eat everyone in this room if it comes to barbecue," Yami gave a light wave, and there was a choking sound from the back of the class as Choji, with his chubby, spiral patterned cheeks and spiked hair shaking as he accidentally inhaled a chip from his bag at Yami's statement. Shikamaru, a dark haired kid with his hair styled into a pineapple-like style, clapped his hand down on his Akamichi friend's back before he could shout out a challenge, and Gaara spoke out.

"My name is Gaara. All anyone here needs to know about me is that if you mess with my friends... it won't end well," Gaara merely tilted his head forwards slightly.

"Alright. Yami, Gaara, don't bother going to your seats. We're working with taijutsu today," Iruka-sensei stated as he looked over the attendance and schedule, leaving the majority of the class to give a groan.

I glanced at Sasuke, who was grinning. Not surprising, considering that he was top of the class at nearly everything. But I allowed myself a smirk. I didn't have Sasuke's training, but I certainly hit hard.

Filing outside, Iruka-sensei began calling out names for who was sparring. Yami looked ecstatic as he waited for his turn to fight, but Gaara... Gaara looked like he was about to freak.

"First match: Shino Arabume," Iruka-sensei's voice caught the attention of the silent, stoic boy. He moved into the center of the makeshift sparring ring as our sensei spoke again "vs. Gaara... wait. No clan name?" he checked the list, "no clan name for Yami, either..."

"Don't ask," Gaara spoke shakily as he put down his gourd, and walked out to face Shino, constantly glancing at the gourd as if he were afraid something was going to fly out of it.

Iruka-sensei's face was one of utter surprise, then he shrugged, "oh, well. Begin!"

Gaara bent over into a basic taijutsu stance, his open hands bent slightly into claws as he flexed them. Shino merely stood there, his hands in his pockets, no different than any other time that anyone saw him. For what seemed like an hour, nothing happened, the two staring down each other, Shino emotionless, Gaara seeming to be unsure of himself.

It was my new friend that moved first. He rushed at Shino, bringing his hand up at the boy's head with every intention of breaking the Arabume's sunglasses. The silent stoic dodged to the side in response, bringing his own hand into Gaara's abdomen - or tried to. A flash of brown got in the way of the Arabume's fist, dispersing before I could get a good look and catching Shino off guard. Something like shock shot through the boy before Gaara caught him in the jaw with his fist, sending him sprawling across the ground. Gaara stood, breathing hard, not from exertion, but from clear nervousness - whatever that earthen-brown flash was, it had something to do with how he'd won.

Iruka-sensei merely stared, then decided to spare Gaara the stress of questioning, though worry still lingered in his eyes, "winner, Gaara."

A look of relief crossed Gaara's face before he glanced back at the shocked Arabume laying on the ground before him, then offered his hand. Shino glanced up at him, then took the hand before him, and they both went back to their spots. I felt a hand tap the back of my shoulder, and I glanced back to look at Yami.

"We'll talk about that later," he whispered. I gave a nod in response, and he moved away again, eying the other students intently in anticipation for his match.

I went back to watching each match as they took place.

_Naruto, _I heard Kirin's voice echo in my mind.

_I'm here, _I answered, still paying attention to each spar, _what is it?_

_I'm not criticizing your choice in friends or anything, _she began, _but you might want to keep a close eye on your two new roommates._

I frowned, suddenly somewhat annoyed. She interrupted me before I could speak again, _let me finish, baka, _there was a shift in my mind as she sent my attention to Gaara, _you remember what he did, right? With the sand when he and Yami first saved you?_

I blinked, having never really thought about it before. She continued,_ I'm not entirely sure, but I'm pretty sure he's a jinchuuriki. For a chakra beast who hates my guts, no less._

I felt myself mentally sprawl, and I swallowed, _but I thought that-_

_You thought what?_ there was a pause before she spoke again, _Oh, don't tell me, _She sighed,_ did you seriously think that I was the only chakra beast in the world?_

I inwardly gave a sheepish grin, and she gave a groan, _ah, whatever. Now you know better. You may also want to keep an eye on Yami. There's only trace amounts of it, but I can sense extremely dark chakra coming off of him. It's familiar, but I can't really put my finger on it. Keep an eye on him._

I nodded, and heard the words "next match: Naruto Uzumaki."

I swallowed hard, walking into the center of the ring. I glanced at the other kids. I'd be fine so long as it wasn't-

"Vs. Sasuke Uchiha."

I groaned as the prodigy walked out into the ring to face me, crouching into his clan's natural stance for their style, Intercepting Fist, a look of slight disdain crossing his face as his fangirls cheered before totally focusing on me, his lips curling upwards slightly into a smile.

I grated my teeth. While there was no way I could realistically hope to win this, I wasn't going down without a fight.

I rushed at my opponent, bringing my fist up, ready to let it collide with his face. He simply sidestepped past me, and drove his fist into the side of my head. I was sent sprawling, and most of the other kids cheered for the prodigy I was facing or jeered at me, though a few stayed silent. Killing intent flared in the clearing, and I could tell Yami and Gaara were not enjoying what they were seeing, or what they heard.

"Hey, are you going to shut up and let me fight? Or do you want to fight me?"

My eyes shot open to Sasuke's voice. I stared at him as he glared at the surrounding students in annoyance, then set his eyes back on me. He ran at me, crouched low.

_Don't just sit there, you idiot!_ Kirin urged, _get moving!_

Not even thinking, I grabbed some dust from the earth around me and tossed it at an incoming Sasuke, who got it right in the eyes. He grated his teeth as he came to a screeching halt, grabbing at his watering eyes. The other students shouted with rage while Kirin got me back into focus _now! While he's blind! Hit him!_

I needed no further prompting. I got to my feet and rushed the Uchiha, driving my fist into the bottom of his jaw and sending him rolling across the dirt. He sputtered as he struggled to his feet.

"Winner: Sasuke Uchiha-"

"No."

Everyone looked at Sasuke in shock as he stood, rubbing at his jaw with a smirk on his face. Iruka-sensei sputtered "Sasuke, he disqualified himself. He ignored the rules of the spar and threw dust into your eyes-"

"Even if that's against the rules, I don't really care," he wiped his eyes one last time as he smiled at me, "it isn't about fighting fair. If I were in his position, I'd have done the same thing. Plus, Naruto, I have to give it to you... your technique needs work, but you hit hard."

I blinked, long and slow, and suddenly found his fist colliding with my cheek, "you let your guard down!" he shouted as I hit the dirt.

_What do you think you're doing?__ It doesn't matter if he's better than you at this! You hit him once, you can do it again! _Kirin's voice helped me get back to my feet, everything except her voice and my opponent disappearing. I smirked, and rushed at him, suddenly able to match him blow for blow. Things were even for a while, until he got me in the face with some dirt.

I stumbled, suddenly blind, and I heard him shout, "payback time!"

A fist slammed into my jaw, and I was sent sprawling across the ground. I gasped for air as Iruka-sensei waited five long seconds before declaring "winner: Sasuke Uchiha."

I gave a groan as the multitude of cheers and jeers came again, Yami and Gaara approaching from the side. What surprised me, though, was the sudden hand in front of me, and Sasuke's smiling face as he offered to help me up.

"You were pretty good. Like I said, your technique needs work, but overall, you aren't that bad," he grinned.

I blinked, then returned his grin, and clasped his hand, letting him help me to my feet. I turned, and Yami and Gaara stood, obviously surprised by what they just saw.

"You two are Naruto's friends, right?" Sasuke asked. Upon their confirming nod, his smile widened, "well, I hope you guys are as good as Naruto is. You certainly are, Gaara. Most people are afraid to get anywhere near Shino."

"You weren't too bad yourself," Yami mused, placing his hands behind his head, "Sasuke, right?"

"That's me," the Uchiha grinned, then frowned as Iruka-sensei began speaking again, "let's talk outside of the ring. The next match is about to start."

As we left the ring Sasuke spoke again, "you guys don't seem half-bad."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Gaara asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Well," Sasuke shrugged, "it's always been a law my parents put on me to make me stay away from Naruto and anyone he makes friends with," at this, Yami and Gaara stiffened, killing intent spiking through the roof. The Uchiha beside me quickly finished, "whenever I asked why, they'd never answer, so I don't exactly see why I should listen. Besides, I'm not entirely sure how to stay away from myself, seeing as... ah, forget it. I'll ask later."

"Ask us what?" I gave a smirk, suddenly intrigued, the killing intent from Yami and Gaara began to die down with their increasing curiosity.

"Well..." Sasuke trailed off, "I was wondering if you'd be interested in tagging along with me and my brother after school today. He's promised to train me, and said I could bring some friends along if I wanted, so... would you be interested?"

Yami gave a grin, "sure. Why not? Can't be a bad move."

Gaara gave a slight smile, accompanied by a nod, and Iruka-senei's voice echoed in our ears again, "final match: Kiba Inuzuka vs. Yami."

Yami glanced back at the ring, then gave us a grin, "wish me luck!" before walking into the ring, facing down the brown haired Inuzuka, the boy's slit eyes feral and fangs bared as Yami stared him down.

"You're Naruto's friend, aren't you?" Kiba shouted, making sure everyone in the clearing could hear.

"Yeah," Yami picked at his ear, totally disinterested in his opponent, "what about it?"

Kiba gave a snort, obviously not taking well to being ignored, "well, because of that, now I'm certain I'm going to win!"

Yami's head perked up slightly, his eyes focused on the Inuzuka who'd finally managed to get his attention. Kiba continued "Naruto's a weakling! The only reason he got a hit on Sasuke is for two reasons; either Sasuke felt sorry for the kid and let him get in a hit, or the prodigy is losing his touch! Either way, Naruto's a dead last, will always be a dead last, and anyone who makes friends with him falls into that category as well!" Yami's eye gave a twitch as his expression continued to darken, Kiba finally taking notice, "oh, you don't like that, do you? Well, deal with it, kid! It's the hard truth!" he gave me a hard glare, "Naruto, the next Hokage? Give me a break. The kid won't even become a ninja."

There was a short silence, rage burning inside of me, only Sasuke and Gaara holding me back from pounding the Inuzuka into the dust. Yami had his head hung, shadows combining with his hair to cover the top half of his cold, emotionless face. A chill passed through the clearing, and Gaara stiffened. His gaze shot to Yami, and he swallowed hard, "uh-oh."

"What is it?" Sasuke managed through his grit teeth.

"He made Yami mad. When you live with him, you learn quickly that you never, _ever _make Yami mad," Gaara's voice was shaky with fear, "for his friends, it's not such a big deal. For everyone else, including himself... there can be disastrous results."

Yami's hands twitched slightly as he raised his head, "you made fun of my friend," he stated simply, not even acknowledging the existence of anything except the Inuzuka in front of him. His eyes gave a short, almost instantaneous flicker, as if their colour had become inverted for an instant. Gaara's eyes widened, and Yami gave a cold smirk that quickly turned into a crazed, almost sadistic grin, "that was a very bad move, kid."

"Yeah? What are you going to do- hurk!"

In the next instant, Yami was suddenly in his natural fighting stance, having sent a blow into Kiba's gut and sending the dog-boy rolling across the dirt. Kiba gripped at his stomach, then did a panicky roll across the ground as Yami leaped, and brought his heel down where the kid's head once was. Kiba stood shakily, and rushed at Yami, trying to hit him with his clan's trademark style, swiping his hands at Yami like claws... but couldn't seem to get in a hit. Yami merely grinned, dodging each one with ease before bringing his fist into the bottom of the Inuzuka's jaw. Instead of letting him fly to the earth, however, Yami kept a firm grip on the Inuzuka's neck as he dragged him to the tree in the yard, and slammed his opponent into it, one of the knots in the tree digging into Kiba's back and making blood begin to drip out of the wound. Kiba let out a cross between a choke and a pathetic whimper as Yami proceeded to ignore Iruka-sensei's shouts of protest, and tightened his grip around the dog-boy's neck before beginning to pummel him, blood gushing from the Inuzuka's broken nose and split lips before Akamaru, Kiba's ninja hound, finally decided to step in, leaping and landing on the partial albino's shoulders and sinking his sharp little fangs into the side of Yami's neck. The black haired Super Saiyan paid no attention to the dog, continuing to bludgeon Kiba about the head with relentless force until he decided the dog on his back was a nuisance. He reached back, grabbed Akamaru by the scruff of the neck, and yanked him away, blood so dark it was almost black seeping out of the little fang marks the ninja hound had left on his neck. He spared a brief glance at Akamaru before tossing him into the wall of the academy. The dog hit the wall, and slid to the ground on his side like he'd been hit with a sack of bricks, a low whine of pain escaping the dog's mouth before falling silent.

"Akamaru!" Kiba shouted, then turned his glare to Yami, who still had the dog-boy pinned to the tree, "I swear to the Log you are going to pay for that!"

He lashed out, the sharpened claws of the Inuzuka clan biting into Yami's cheek, blood running along the bottom of my friend's jaw as his head swung violently to the side. Yami just grinned, and slammed his forehead against Kiba's, knocking the back of the dog boy's head into the tree and almost knocking him unconscious. Yami raised his free hand for one last punch, "this should shut you up."

Gaara had obviously decided that he'd had enough by this point. He rushed into the ring and grabbed onto Yami's fist, "YAMI!"

Yami stopped, and glanced back at Gaara, who shook his head, "that's enough, Yami. You won. You've proved your point multiple times over for Kiba. Isn't that enough?"

Yami hesitated before releasing the Inuzuka, who gave a wheeze of pain and started gasping for breath as he began crawling to Akamaru, evident pain wracking his body with every movement. Iruka-sensei walked over to them, and said "come on. Let's get you and Akamaru to the hospital."

Kiba gave a weak nod, then Iruka-sensei turned to glare at Yami, who was staring at his hands like he'd never known what they were capable of, and regretted letting them out of control. As soon as he caught Iruka-sensei's gaze, though, that turned to simple defiance as he stared our sensei dead in the eye, an obvious challenge.

"Yami, you took that match too far. You've hospitalized Kiba and Akamaru, and from the look in your eyes, you weren't about to stop there. I know you're new, but that doesn't give you the right to pummel the other students in sparring matches like that," Iruka-sensei warned sternly.

Yami spat in response, "oh, and it's _totally _okay for him," he gestured at Kiba, who gave a severe flinch, "to make fun of my friends like that. Sure. I'll keep that little bit in mind."

"Don't play smart with me, kid," Iruka-sensei snarled, clearly about to lose his temper, "this is your only warning, Yami. If something like this happens again, you'll be facing expulsion. The Hokage will be told about this, so watch your step. Understand?" he didn't even wait for Yami to respond before he lifted Kiba and his ninja hound and turned to the class, one word escaping his set jaw before he shunshined away, "dismissed!"

It only occurred to me then that Iruka-sensei had not declared a winner for the match, and Kirin inwardly shook her head, a note of worry and suspicion in her voice, _he didn't need to. It was obvious who won that fight. And that proves it, _she leaned in close to get my attention, _I__'m fairly certain that both Yami and Gaara are jinchuuriki. For who Yami is a container for, however, I can't say.  
_

I nodded as the class began to murmur to one another before scattering, taking care to steer clear of Yami and his blood-coated fists. Soon, the only ones that remained were me, Yami, Gaara, and Sasuke, the last of which stretched out as Yami and Gaara approached, "well, that was... unexpected, to say the least. You sure you weren't a little harsh on Kiba, Yami?"

"The idiot brought it on himself," Yami began wiping his knuckles off on the grass, "I just gave him what he asked me for."

Sasuke nodded, "figured you'd say that. Kiba always did need someone to kick his ass. I just didn't expect you to be so... brutal about it, I guess," he folded his hands behind his head, "anyways, you guys still interested in tagging along with me and my brother for training?"

"Why wouldn't we be?" I asked, grinning, Yami and Gaara smirking.

"I guess that means we gotta be friends," he looked up at the sky, then back to me, Yami and Gaara, "well, since class was dismissed early, my brother won't be showing up for a while. In the meantime," he crouched into a taijutsu stance, "let's work on our taijutsu."


	4. Prologue Part IV: Meeting Itachi

I do not own Naruto. The only character I own is Yami. At least, for now.

* * *

NARUTO

We spent the next hour in a free for all against each other, fighting non-stop with no rules. By the end of it, I'd learned that Gaara was not about to be hit in any way whatsoever - the earthen stuff that had blocked Shino blocked all of us as well. Sasuke had his own little spin on the Intercepting Fist style, implementing grapples and swift movements the Uchiha never normally used, and Yami... he was absolutely brutal when it came to taijutsu. His style was one based on almost pure offense, only dodging or blocking when doing so would set him up to deliver a counter or follow up strike, filled with swift, almost acrobatic maneuvers that seemed to be more befitting of a demon's fighting style than a human's, tending to role with the punches, taking the strikes in and using their momentum to fuel his next strike. For the most part kept his hands open and clawed like the Inuzuka clan, striking with the palm of his hand and forcing whoever fought him into grapples that were impossible to simply break out of, but when it suited him, he put the bloody knuckles that had put Kiba in the hospital to good use. He also had a habit of going for his kunai, constantly remembering at the last second that no weapons were to be used before switching things up with an elbow to the gut or a kick to the face (note to self; feet like leather hurt when they connect in a kick.)

Coated from head to toe in sweat, the four of us leaned against the wall of the academy, breathing in deep gasps as we each drank gratefully from a water bottle Sasuke had brought. Yami grinned, "that was the most fun I've had in a while. I always enjoy a good sparring match."

"Speak for yourself," Gaara huffed, patting his gourd like it was a precious memento, "I personally prefer long ranged combat. You get hurt less often."

"Coming from the guy who doesn't have a scratch on him," Sasuke pointed out, "none of us could even get through the stuff that keeps showing up to guard you. What's up with that, anyways?"

"It's sand," Yami stated before Gaara could speak. Gaara glared at him as he continued, "while Gaara has a special ability to control sand to begin with, there's this odd little thing that happens whenever he's about to get hit. The sand rises up to protect him, independent of his will. It would show up even if he didn't want it to."

I tilted my head slightly, "you mean like a kekkei genkai?"

"The way it is with the Sharingan?" Sasuke asked.

Gaara put his hand to his chin in thought as he stared up at the clouds, then nodded, "kind of, but this is a bit more complicated."

Sasuke smirked, "so what is it if it isn't a kekkei genkai? Some kind of special power given to you by the mighty Log?"

Both Yami and Gaara flinched, and the latter, after some hesitation, gave an answer, "I... it's a personal subject. Maybe if I come to trust you later on, I'll tell you, but for now..."

"Just leave it alone," Sasuke and I finished at the same time.

Gaara nodded, and we resumed the relaxing silence, resting beneath the tree as we stared up at the clouds.

"Well, looks like you all got a good workout."

I glanced down from the sky to catch sight of a fairly tall boy about the age of thirteen, a small smirk pulling at his lips. His long black hair was pulled back behind his head in a ponytail, and his Konoha headband glinted in the sunlight as he adjusted it slightly. His onyx eyes danced with a certain friendliness few people had, and twin lines ran from the sides of the bridge of his nose across his cheeks, as if they were intentional scars rather than simple birthmarks. He was fairly tall for his age, and wore a simple pair of pants and a shirt, the only things sticking out being his headband, the kunai pouch on his leg, and the Uchiha symbol on the back of his shirt. He took a step forwards, "having fun, Sasuke? I see you've got some new friends."

"Yep! These guys are tough! Nice to know I've got someone at my back. Those fangirls..." the younger Uchiha gave a cold shudder, his face contorting into a face of a mixture of fear and extreme annoyance, "they're so obnoxious!"

Upon seeing the look on Sasuke's face, Yami burst out laughing, rolling around in the dirt and pointing at Sasuke, "I don't believe it! He did it! He pulled it off! He did the Excalibur face!" he gave a long gasp, then continued laughing uncontrollably, finally stopping a few minutes later, "ah, man... that was a good anime."

"Anyways," Sasuke shook his head, "Itachi, you know how you said I could bring some friends along for training today?"

"I did," the boy smirked, obviously the only one able to understand Yami's joke, "and you want to bring them along, right?" he looked us each over, tilting his head slightly. He glanced at Sasuke, "good to see you're making the newcomers feel welcome, Sasuke. And I'm not going to stop you, but you realize that if mom and dad find out about bringing along Naruto, they won't be very happy with you, right?"

"So what? A guy has to learn to make decisions on his own," Sasuke shrugged as we all stood, each of us introducing ourselves to Itachi.

In response, Itachi grinned, "that's exactly what I wanted to hear," he turned, "you guys look hungry. Let's get some lunch, then we'll head out to the training fields."

_You know what, Naruto? I think I'm going to like this kid._

_So do I, Kirin,_ I grinned as the others started forwards, me close behind, _so do I._

* * *

It wasn't long after we'd met Itachi and started up that we'd seen that he was no softy when it came to training. His skill was on par if not above that of a Jonin-level shinobi, and he kept pushing us harder and harder, testing our limits and giving us tips as we went along. By the end of it, we were all on the brink of exhaustion, every one of us ready to drop. All except for Itachi, who hadn't even broken a sweat.

"I'd say that's enough for today," he grinned, "you guys all look like you're out of breath."

"Wh... What are you talking abou-" Yami stumbled, then fell face first on the ground, his legs giving out from underneath him as his eyes shut. Almost instantly, he was snoring, and Gaara gave a smirk.

"He suffers from insomnia, just like I do," he explained, the sand gathering up the napping boy and hoisting him above the ground, "but I think it's just because he's got way too much energy."

"No wonder he collapsed then," Itachi shook his head, "now come on. Let's all head home."

* * *

As soon as we entered the door, I felt myself almost float over to my bed and collapse on the softness, the muffled sounds of Yami and Gaara hitting the hay following soon afterwards. My eyes forced themselves shut, and I found myself descending into the blackness of sleep.


End file.
